1. Field
This specification relates to a system and a method for circulating, filtering and monitoring air quality in an environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air filtration and/or circulation systems have been installed in vehicles and in buildings. An air filtration and/or circulation system monitors, cleans and/or circulates air within an enclosed environment. An air filtration and/or circulation system may remove contaminants from the air to provide comfort and improve health of people in the enclosed environment. The air filtration and/or circulation system may use filters to trap airborne particles, by, for example, size exclusion. Other forms of filtration include the use of ultraviolet (UV) light, thermodynamic sterilization (TSS), ionizers, polarizers and ozone. Additionally, an air filtration and/or circulation system may provide climate control, such as adjusting the air temperature, humidity, etc.
These air filtration and/or circulation systems are typically manually engaged or sometimes engaged in response to detecting contaminants in the air and operate continuously until a user disengages the air filtration and/or circulation system. Thus, these air filtration and/or circulation systems are reactive systems which may initially allow unfiltered and/or uncirculated air into the enclosed environment. Furthermore, in the case of the manual engagement, this requires attention and effort by an operator whose attention could otherwise be focused on other tasks (e.g., driving a vehicle in challenging situations). By allowing some unfiltered and/or uncirculated air to pass, an individual in the enclosed environment may experience an initial discomfort.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method to predict and/or anticipate the air quality requirements of a user and, automatically, control air filtration and/or circulation in an environment.